Some two million pilgrims from around the world gather
each year to perform Hajj, the pilgrimage to the Holy Mosque in Makkah and
other holy sites near the city.

Labayk Allahuma
Labayk

Labayk. La
shareeka laka Labayk.

Innal hamda
wannimata laka wal mulk

La
shareeka Lak

(Here
I am at your service, oh Lord, Here I am. Here I am. No partner do you
have. Here I am. Truly, the praise and the favor are yours, and the
dominion. No partner do you have.)

These are the words
chanted by some two million people from across Saudi Arabia and throughout
the world heading, as if pulled by a magnet, to one single spot on Earth.
As has happened every year for 14 centuries, Muslim pilgrims gather in
Makkah to perform rituals based on those conducted by the Prophet Muhammad
during his last visit to the city.

Thousands
of fireproof, air-conditioned tents in Mina provide lodging for the
pilgrims, and are among the many modern facilities Saudi Arabia has
established to ensure a safe and comfortable pilgrimage for the guests of
God.

Performing
these rituals, known as the Hajj, is the fifth pillar of Islam and the
most significant manifestation of Islamic faith and unity. Undertaking the
Hajj at least once is a duty for Muslims who are physically and
financially able to make the journey to Makkah. The emphasis on financial
ability is meant to ensure that a Muslim takes care of his family first.
The requirement that a Muslim be healthy and physically capable of
undertaking the pilgrimage is intended to exempt those who cannot endure
the rigors of extended travel.

The pilgrimage is the religious high point of a Muslims life and
an event that every Muslim dreams of undertaking. Umrah, the lesser
pilgrimage, can be undertaken at any time of the year; Hajj, however, is
performed during a five-day period from the ninth through the thirteenth
of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Muslim lunar calendar. This
year, the Hajj corresponded to March 15-19.

And
proclaim the Pilgrimage

Among
men: they will come

To
thee on foot and (mounted)

On
every camel,

Lean
(on account of journeys)

Through
deep and distant

Mountain
Highways...

Holy
Quran, Surah Al-Hajj, 4

The vast Plain of Arafat (facing page and top) is covered with
tents, eating areas, rest areas, clinics and other facilities that are
used only during the Hajj.

In the past, and
as late as the early decades of this century, few people were able to make
their way to Makkah for the pilgrimage. This was because of the
hardships encountered, the length of time the journey took and the expense
associated with it. Pilgrims coming from the far corners of the Islamic
world sometimes dedicated a year or more to the journey, and many perished
during it due in part to the lack of facilities on the routes to Makkah
and also in the city itself.

Female pilgrims, such as
these two sisters from Indonesia, are required to wear simple
clothes that leave their faces and hands uncovered.

The circumstances of the Hajj began to improve during
the time of King Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Saud, the founder of the
modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Major programs were introduced to ensure
the security and safety of the pilgrims, as well as their well-being and
comfort. Steps were also taken to establish facilities and services aimed
at improving housing, health care, sanitation and transportation.

The
Mount of Mercy (top and above) is the focal point of the gathering at
Arafat, where pilgrims ask for God’s forgiveness for any sins they may
have committed during their lives.

Today, though
the rituals at the holy sites in and near Makkah have remained unchanged
from the time of the Prophet, the setting for the pilgrimage and the
facilities available to the pilgrims are a far cry from those that existed
at any time in history. Hardship was once expected and endured as part of
the pilgrimage, and Muslims who embarked on this undertaking traditionally
assigned a relative or trusted member of the community as the executor of
their wills in case they did not return from the journey.

Thousands
of sprinklers (above) placed atop 30-foot poles produce a mist of water
that helps cool the vast crowd of pilgrims as their perform the rituals
of the Hajj.

The
Mount of Mercy

Muslims today
undertake the pilgrimage in ease, receive a warm welcome on their arrival
in Saudi Arabia, and are provided with the most modern facilities and
efficient services possible. Without the distractions that their forebears
had to contend with, todays pilgrims are free to focus solely on the
spiritual aspect of the Hajj.

On their way from
Muzdalifah, in the
far horizon, to the Mount
of Mercy, pilgrims perform noon prayers at Nimerah Mosque (above) in Arafat.

PREPARING TO WELCOME THE GUESTS OF
GOD

It is
truly amazing, said Rajeeb Razul, a journalist from the Philippines,
as he stood on the roof of the Ministry of Information building near the
Nimera Mosque in Arafat watching a column of pilgrims that stretched to
Mina almost eight miles in the distance make their way past the mosque
toward the Mount of Mercy. To organize a gathering of humans this
large, for housing them, for feeding them and for meeting their every need
year after year must be a monumental task, he observed.

A pilgrim from Central Asia and his
son (above) dressed in Ihram, the two seamless pieces of cloth that every
male pilgrim wears, and which is meant to erase social and economic
distinctions.

Saudi Arabia
considers serving the guests of God an honor, and dedicates vast manpower
and financial resources to the proper conduct of the pilgrimage. Over the
past four decades, it has spent billions of dollars to expand the Holy
Mosque in Makkah and the Prophets Mosque in Madinah, as well as
establishing modern airports, seaports, roads, lodging, and other
amenities and services for the pilgrims.

Pilgrims
collect pebbles in Muzdalifah which they throw at stone pillars in a
symbolic rejection of Satan.

The
establishment of these facilities by itself does not ensure a successful
Hajj. To do so, the Kingdom has put into place a vast organization
supervised by the Supreme Hajj Committee, which reports to the Custodian
of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, who traditionally is in
Makkah during the pilgrimage. The committee seeks to coordinate the
activities of various government ministries and agencies and prevent
redundancy. Each of these organizations assumes responsibility for
projects in its sphere of expertise. For example, the Ministry of Islamic
Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance issues special booklets on the
rites of the Hajj in many languages for distribution among the pilgrims.
The Ministry of Health oversees medical services while the Ministry of
Information hosts journalists and members of the media from other
countries to cover the pilgrimage, while at the same time arranging for
live transmissions of the rituals by satellite throughout the world.

A
wide two-story pedestrian walkway stretches for more than a mile to allow
two million pilgrims to file past the Jamarat (stoning area) in an orderly
fashion.

Planning for
each years pilgrimage generally starts at the conclusion of the
previous one and involves evaluating various programs and, if necessary,
introducing steps to improve any service that is deemed below par. Once
plans for the next Hajj are approved, they are sent to the appropriate
government agency, which immediately sets out to implement them. The
progress of these plans is reviewed by the committee throughout the year
and, once in place, the project is inspected several weeks before the
pilgrimage starts.

Pilgrims
collect pebbles in Muzdalifah.

A VAST BROTHERHOOD

Performing the
Hajj is the spiritual apex of a Muslims life, one that provides a
clear understanding of his relationship with God and his place on Earth.
It imparts in a Muslim not only the assurance that he has performed the
fifth pillar of Islam by following in the footsteps of the Prophet, but
also the realization that he is part of an ummah (nation) that is more
than one billion strong and spreads across the globe.

Shielded
from the elements, pilgrims perform sa’ay, the running between Safa and
Marwa (top) in a climate-controlled environment adjacent to the Holy Mosque
in Makkah.

This feeling is
brought home upon the pilgrims arrival in the Kingdom. Most pilgrims
arrive by air, and as their planes taxi toward the impressive Hajj
Terminal in Jeddah, they pass jetliners with familiar names, but also ones
that bear exotic markings such as Southern China Airlines and Daghestan
Airlines and others from every part of the world.

Hospitals,
clinics and ambulances (above) are on call around the clock to provide
medical care for the pilgrims. Heat exhaustion accounts for most of the
patients treated at the medical facilities.

While waiting to
be processed through the arrival hall, the pilgrim begins to shed his
identity as he stands amidst a sea of people in Ihram, the two seamless
pieces of white cotton that men wear and the simple, generally white,
attire that women wear. Here no one can tell a persons social or
economic status, or his national origin based on the clothes he wears.
Suddenly the pilgrim is simply, and above all else, a Muslim, and the
realization slowly sets in that he is now focusing more than ever on other
peoples faces rather than their clothes. These faces represent
almost every race or nationality on Earth. As energetic young Saudis move
the pilgrims rapidly through customs, he notices Arabs, Indians, Bosnians,
Chinese, Spaniards, Africans, Laotians, French, Americans and many others.

Although as many as two million
pilgrims are placed in close proximity to each other throughout the rituals
of the Hajj, such as these pilgrims on their way to perform the Standing at
Arafat, the pilgrimage is marked by absolute tranquility and the absence of
any altercations as pilgrims focus on worshipping God and asking for his
blessing and forgiveness.

Contact with
people from such diverse races and nationalities over the days and weeks
spent in the Kingdom engenders in the pilgrims a sense of understanding of
and trust in total strangers simply because they are performing the Hajj
together.

ARRIVING IN MAKKAH

Before heading
toward Makkah, the pilgrims are already dressed in Ihram or may change at
Miqat, where special facilities are set up for this purpose. By donning
the Ihram, the pilgrim enters a state of spirituality and purity.

Saudi
Arabia has spent tens of billions of dollars to establish a modern network
of facilities, such as air-conditioned tents (top) and telecommunication
facilities (bellow), to make the Hajj a safe and comfortable experience for
pilgrims who come from all over the world.

Telecommunication
facilities.

On the way from
Jeddah to Makkah along the modern superhighway, pilgrims board one of the
fleet of 15,000 buses assigned to the Hajj. This vast concourse of
vehicles approaches Mina, some four miles to the northwest of Makkah,
where most of the pilgrims are housed in the thousands of air-conditioned
tents that stretch to the limits of Mina Valley.

Walking through
this vast city that has been established for use for only a few days a
year, the pilgrim is struck by the orderliness of the place. Food is
prepared in hundreds of kitchens spread throughout Mina and distributed
among the tents. Thousands of drinking fountains and wash areas are
located throughout the tent city. There are hundreds of medical clinics
that supplement the hospitals in Makkah and Arafat. Security personnel and
traffic police guide and help pilgrims. Despite the clear signs and
numbered rows, some pilgrims, particularly the elderly, tend to get lost
and need assistance finding their tents or groups. Banks of telephones are
located in all the pilgrimage sites, allowing pilgrims to make direct
international calls.

“Enter
ye here in Peace and Security,” states a sign on a ship bringingpilgrims to the Jeddah Islamic Port.

THE RITES OF PILGRIMAGE

After sunrise on
the ninth of the Islamic month of Dhu Al-Hajjah, which corresponded to
March 15 this year, this vast crowd of nearly two million begins to walk
some eight miles to the Plain of Arafat, passing Muzdalifah on the way.
Many perform the noon and afternoon prayers at the Nimerah Mosque, a
tradition set by the Prophet.

All
pilgrims receive a warm welcome, whether they arrive in Saudi Arabia by
land, sea or air. Pilgrims are given copies of the Holy Qur’an, booklets
printed in a large number of languages containing instructions for the
proper performance of the Hajj and other gifts.

Approaching
Arafat by midmorning, the pilgrim is amazed to find the vast plain covered
by what appears to be a thick fog, even though the temperature hovers
around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This optical illusion iscreated
by thousands of sprinklers placed atop 30-foot poles and spaced some 50
feet apart, which spread a fine mist of water to provide coolness.
Millions of containers of chilled water are distributed from refrigerated
trucks located along the pilgrim route.

To
ensure a successful Hajj, Minister of Interior Prince Nayef Ibn Abdul Aziz,
who is chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committe.

Despite these
precautions, the wail of sirens is ever present as hundreds of ambulances
pick up pilgrims suffering from heat exhaustion and transport them to
special clinics for treatment. The more serious cases are evacuated by
helicopter to hospitals.

Pilgrims are
required to spend the day in the plain, performing what is called the
Standing at Arafat. Here they also visit the Mount of Mercy and ask for
Gods forgiveness for any sinscommitted
and for blessings. Facilities have also been set up here to feed the
pilgrims and meet any requirementthey
may have.

Like the Holy Mosque in
Makkah, the
Prophet’s Mosque has undergone extensive expansion while retaining its
traditional Islamic architecture and design, as reflected in one of its
doors.

After the sun
has set this river of humanity retraces its steps back toward Makkah, but
stops at Muzdalifah until the brightness of day appears on the eastern
horizon. Here the pilgrims collect seven pebbles and carry them to Mina.
As they arrive in the valley, they trek along a two-level pedestrian
walkway some 100-yards wide toward the three stone pillars called the
Jamarat, which are meant to represent Satan. The pilgrims are required to
cast the pebbles they have collected at the Stone Pillar of Aqabah while
praising God, in a symbolic rejection of Satan. As the pilgrims approach
along the walkway, they join those already at the pillar and, after
hurling their pebbles circle toward the exit ramp in the direction of
Makkah. Signs in various major languages direct the crowds along the
route.

Although not required as part of the
Hajj, many pilgrims also visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

The pilgrims
then walk some four miles along pedestrian walkways to reach Makkah, where
they perform the tawaf, circling the Kaabah in the Holy Mosque seven
times counter clockwise. They then perform saay, the running between
Safa and Marwa in an enclosed, air-conditioned structure. Male pilgrims
are then required to shave their heads, although cutting a lock of hair is
acceptable for both men and women.

The green dome covering the tomb of
the Prophet Muhammad.

At this point
the pilgrims sacrifice an animal, donating its meat to the needy. This
year, a total of 637,669 animals were sacrificed in a new facility that
processed the meat over three days. Distribution of the meat from this
years Hajj to the needy in 27 countries began on March 25.

The prayer area adjacent to the tomb
and other parts of the old mosque have been painstakingly restored.

The rites of the
pilgrimage are now completed. Pilgrims come out of Ihram and wear their
normal clothes, but remain at Mina for the Eid Al-Adha, the festival that
signals the culmination of the Hajj. Over the next two days, they stone
the three pillars in the Jamarat, before performing the Tawaf Al-Wida,
the Farewell Circumambulation of the Kaabah before their departure
from the city.

While not
required as part of the Hajj, most pilgrims visit the Prophets
Mosque in Madinah during their visit to the Kingdom.

Madinah
contains many historic mosques dating back to the time of the Prophet
Muhammad. The Qubah Mosque is a beautiful example of early Islamic
architecture and draws many pilgrims, such as these journalists from around
the Islamic world.

A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

Throughout the
Hajj, the largest annual gathering of people on Earth, the pilgrimage is
marked by a total absence of any disagreements or altercations among the
pilgrims. Courtesy and helping others are the norm. Peace, serenity and
piety pervade the entire pilgrimage and the pilgrims.

The
Qiblatain Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in the world.

At
the conclusion of the Hajj, the pilgrim has a profound feeling of having
gone through a life-transforming spiritual experience. He comes away with
pride in having successfully performed a ritual dedicated to God and in
belonging to a huge family of people that shares the same religious beliefs.
And he has acquired a sense of humility, inner calm, brotherhood and
strength that lasts a lifetime.